Aeroboat.



J. G. LANGILLE.

AEROBGAT.

APPLIOATION FILED SBPT-13, 1910.

Patented Jan, 23, 19124l 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. C. LANGILLEl ABROBOAT. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1,910.

Patented Jan. 23, i912. s sHEBTs-sHET- s.

W4 im.

JOHN C. LANGILLE, lOF NEWIORT, WASHINGTON. I

Annoncer.

Speeication of Letters Patent.

l Patented Jan. as, asia Application niea september is, i910." serial No. ssn-772.

v To all whom it may concern:

,"Be' it known that I, JOHN C. LANGILLE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at New ort, in the county of Stevens and State of ashington, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Aeroboats, of

which the following is a specification.

This inventionrelates to .vehicles and par'- ticfularly 'to a vehicle combining the principles of-.the motor-boat and the aeroplane, with the objectl of producing a structure capable of traveling at ay high speed and having' both-.the advantages. of .the aeroplane,

., and'thehigh speed motor-boat.

A particular object is to provide a motorboat equipped with planes which may. be so disposed as to exert a lifting force upon the boittl and thus relieve the skin friction of the boat against the water, augmenting the natural tendency of the boat to rise out 'of the water forward, when traveling at a high speed.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, and it will be understood that changes in the specific structure shown and described may be made within the scope of the iclaim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the severa'l views, Figure 1 isa side elevation'of a boat embodying the principles-of my invention', Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing theA boat under .wayand in the position which it then assumes, Fig. 3 is -a front view7 showing the use of the catamaran ,and the arrangement of the planes, Fig. tis a sideelevation of a modified form -of boat including a` single hull and a monoplane structure, Fig. 5 is al front view of Fig. .4, Fig. 6 is a detail of the plane shifting mechanism, Fig. 7 is a transverse section of one of the hulls amidships, Fig. 8 is a transverse section forward, Fig. 9- is atransverse section aftl and just forward of the tail.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a boat hull 5 whichis considerably elongated, and which at its rearward end has a tapered tail 6. The hull' is of the deadrise type, having side bottom portions 7 and 8 slanted upwardly and outwardly from the keel 9, and having only a slightl incline, the incline increasing forwardly to an areadirectly adjacent to the bow`, where the boat In the drawings forming a portion of thishas a relatively iarge ainount of freeboard, the,l sides extending upwardiyin slight curvature as indicated at l0, from the keel to thefgunwale. Throughout the major portion of the hull from the forward end of the tail 6 to the rearward portion of the small areanlO just referred to, the slanting bottom portions .7 and 8 meet theupwardly extend ing side portions 11 at sharp angles 12 and at the extreme after-portion of the hull, these angles 12, where they extend into the tail 6,.form sharp edges ofthe tail, the latter being reduced vertically on a sharp curve indicated at 13.

The tail shaft 14 extends through a tunn el 15 .in the tail, and at its outer end carn ries a propeller 16 of high pitch.

Entending vertically through the hull at a point just forwardly of the forward end o f the tail, there is a rod 17 carrying a tiller 18 -at its upper end and a balanced rudder 19 at its lower end. As will be seen from thedrawings, the rise 11 of the hull at each side has its greatest vertical dimension at the forward end of the tail 6, the angle 12 extending from the extreme rearward end of the tail to a point close to the 'itt bow; and being slanted upwardly throughout its entire length, thus giving the bottom of the boat its greatest transverse angle at the bow and its least transverse angle at the tail, where it has only a slight 'transverse convexity. The advantages of this shape will be apparent from the follwing description.y i

A motor of a proper type is 'mounted in the hull, as indicated at 20, and is connected with the tail shaft.

Mounted upon the forward and rearward portions of the hull and at oppi "itc ends of an intervening cockpit 21, there are a pair of upwardly extending 'supporting frames 22 and 23 in the upper ends of which there are mounted transverse bearings 24 receiving shafts 25, carrying vertically dis'- posed worm gears 26, meshing with worms 27 mounted in the 'uprights and'carryin hand wheels 28. The shafts 25 are carrie by sustaining apparatus 29, which, as shown, are two in number, one for cach supporting upright and each consisting of a pair of superimposed planes B0 extending transversely of the hull and having themselves slight transverse downward curvature. The upper plane extends forwardly beyond the lower plane,-v as indicated at 31, and the ifio planes are connected by suitable braces 32 and tie Wires 33. It Will be seen that through the medium of the hand Wheels 28, the shafts 25 may be shifted to vary the angle of these sustaining planes.

In use, after the boat has attained a reasonable speed in the water, which, as will be understood, will cause the forward portion to rise from the Water to a considerable extent, the planes are shifted upwardly at their' forward portions which exerts a lifting force u on the-hull and tends to raise it farther rom the water, thus reducing the skin friction of the hull against the water. By reason of the slight transverse curvature of the rearward portion of the hull, the boat is in effect a hydroplane, and,

upon attaining a proper speed, itV will be observed that the greater portion of the hull will be lifted from the Water and sustained by the planes While the tail remains Ln the Water and-the propeller drives the oat. t

In Fig. 3 there is shown the front elevation of a boat of the catamaran type in which two hulls A andB are connected by a bridge structure C, upon which there is mounted a transverse motor D having oppositely extending shaft portions E each gear 20', which gears mesh carrying a with the gears 21 on the shafts 22', said 'not shown.

1p1-aises shafts being carried b the hulls A and B, and suitably connecte to propeller shafts,

across both hulls and laterally therebeyond and are mounted to be adjusted as in the .supported by the supporting frames, concavo convex lifting p anes fixedly secured on the shafts, gear segments secured to and depending from the under sides of the planes, Worm 'bearing shafts disposed in mesh with the segments and having inwardly extending ends, and means secured on the inwardly extending ends of the worm shafts for rotating the worms to ad`ust the position of the lifting planes on t e1r pivot shafts. Y

In testimony whereof I aix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

' JOHN C` LANGILLE. Witnesses:

E. W. LU'rz,

F. C. KRAUsE.

The sustaining planes extend 

